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Africa: Zambia and Zimbabwe – Why Fair Elections Are Essential for Africa's Development

in GeneralApril 20, 2017Comments Off on Africa: Zambia and Zimbabwe – Why Fair Elections Are Essential for Africa's Development39 Views | Short URL

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Zimbabwe is used as a case study of a broken society; a country in which those in power concern themselves only with maintaining power and amassing wealth. Zimbabwe is also often cited as an exceptional case. However, while it's situation undoubtedly has its own peculiarities, Zimbabwe has not followed a path that is impassable for others. It is dangerous to think otherwise. By TENDAI BITI.

Despite the popularity of the "Africa rising" narrative that has sounded over the past decade regarding the pace of Africa's economic growth and the prospects for development, the continent continues to face significant challenges in unlocking the benefits for the majority of its citizens.

While there is no singular reason for this, the one with the greatest explanatory power is the mindset of self-enrichment at the cost of social development among the elite. There is little doubt in my mind that the solution to turning this around also lies in the hands of leadership and the choices they make. And getting the right leadership in place, to make the right choices, is a question of democracy.

As a former minister of finance in Zimbabwe, the proposals that came on to my desk for government financing...